The Fool
by Jess
Summary: It's too short! just read it.


Title: The Fool Author: Jess Confessore Email: maddict@jcn1.com Keywords: MSR Disclaimer: I wish. Spoilers: The End, One Son. Feedback: Please? 

Now...on with the show. 

The Fool By Jess Confessore 

In an apartment not far from the nation's hub, an alarm shrilly announced the dawn of a new day. From beneath a fluffy down comforter, one long, tanned arm reached out and swatted at the offensive machine with impeccably manicured fingers. The woman in the bed luxuriated in the warmth of the sheets as she slowly came out of her slumber. Sighing, she threw the airy bulk of her duvet aside and emerged to face the world. Her world. Today her life would begin. She would have everything she wanted- the love of her life returned to her, a fabulous job, and respect for all her hard work. 

She slipped into her silk robe and padded down the hall the to the front door. Opening it, she reached out and grabbed her morning paper. She read the headline to herself and smiled contentedly.  she thought. 

"Must be a slow news day if you're smilin'. There's never anything to smile about in the papers these days." A voice said from her right. 

The woman looked up from the review of her handiwork and smiled at her neighbor. 

"Well, Mrs. Boutkitus," She said folding the paper under her arm, "Expect things to start looking up. I know I am." 

With that, the woman re-entered her apartment leaving her stunned neighbor to her stoop sweeping. Walking to the kitchen to start the coffee, she dropped the paper on the table as she passed. Upon landing, it fell open to reveal the front page and headline which read: "Colonization Scare A Hoax; All MUFON and NICAP Chapters Closed While Under Investigation." Thirty minutes later, she sat down with her breakfast, freshly showered and primped. After a five minute gloat over the headline, she flipped through the papers skimming the articles with a huge smile plastered on her face. That is until she flipped to the wedding announcement page. Smiling up at her from a black and white picture was her lover hugging his bride to be. 

Enraged, she flew across the room and picked up the phone. She jammed her finger on M1 and waited impatiently while the phone clicked and began to ring on the other end. Finally, he answered. 

"Hello?" a husky male voice said. 

"Did you read the paper?!" she yelled. 

"Yes. You do good work. The group is pleased." 

"Not that, you bastard! You said he was mine!" 

"Oh yes. That. You didn't think I'd actually let you have my only son as a prize did you?" 

"But...After all I did! I've lied! I've killed! All for this! All for you! For what you promised me!" 

"Surely you didn't trust a man of my character. It was a distraction, my dear. All part of the plan. As was your departure eight years ago. That you fought your way back, that was a defiance. This was your punishment. He doesn't love you and now you can never have him." 

"ASSHOLE! I'll see you in hell!" 

"I'll take that as your resignation. Good day, Agent Fowley." 

Diana placed the receiver in it's cradle and ripped the photo from the paper. She walked slowly into the bathroom, clutching the balled piece of newspaper in her hand. She couldn't even bare to look at herself in the mirror. Instead, she opened the medicine cabinet and extracted a large bottle of pain-killers. She'd been taking them ever since the shooting and they were just what she needed right now. 

She swallowed a handful of the blue pills, stumbled to the king sized bed and burrowed into the soft sheets. Opening her hand, she flattened the rumpled picture and stared at it for a long moment before tearing it in two. Closing her eyes for the last time, Diana Fowley hoped a sweet dream would be her final memory. 

X~X~X~X~X~X 

She was on the beach, watching the shore-line. Her lover, jumping waves in an rare moment of happiness. She waved to him and he waved back, wading towards the sand and her waiting arms. She watched as his lanky frame emerged from the water and ascended the beach. She looked away to rummage through her bag to find the sunscreen. His would have washed off by now and she was dying to be the one to re-apply the protective lotion to his muscular body. 

"Hey beautiful. Miss me?" His voice said from her right. Diana turned to answer her lover only to watch him walk right past her; his soulful eyes fixed on something behind her. She turned more and watched in horror as Fox Mulder walked into Dana Scully's outstretched arms. They kissed for what seemed like forever, driving her closer to madness with each passing second. 

she thought bitterly. 

Just as they parted, she damn near screamed when she espied her nemesis's rounded belly with Mulder's hand gently caressing it. He whispered something there while Scully giggled. He straightened, kissed her again and began gather up their beach gear. Once he had everything, he took her hand and they started towards the shore. They walked right by her, so lost in each other that they didn't even notice that they accidentally kicked sand on her as they passed. 

Mortified, Diana Fowley watched as they playfully danced in the lapping waves, hands clasped and lips meeting as often as possible. She began to scream loud and long as world went black forever. 

X~X~X~X~X~X~X 

From her apartment, Mrs. Boutkitus heard her neighbor screaming in pain. She rushed to the phone and called the police. Forty-five minutes later, she stood anxiously outside her apartment as the police searched her neighbor's. Before long, Officer Cavanaugh emerged and walked over to her. 

"I'm afraid your neighbor is dead, Mrs. Boutkitus. It appears that she's killed herself." Cavanaugh said flatly. 

"But I heard her scream!" She gasped. 

"I'm sorry. But there is no evidence of another person in the apartment and pain-killers were found strewn across the bathroom floor. It's pretty open and shut." He began to walk away and then turned back. "We did find something we believe drove her to it. Can you identify either of the two people in this picture?" 

Officer Cavanaugh held up a plastic evidence bag with the torn wedding announcement photo in it. Mrs. Boutkitus studied the handsome lanky man and the pretty, short woman in his arms. 

"Yes...I can. That man is her ex-husband. They separated eight years ago. Miss Fowley was hoping for a reconciliation, but he stopped coming by about six months ago." She said in a rush. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Boutkitus. You've been a big help. You can go back to your apartment now." 

She nodded to him and watched him walk back into her neighbor's apartment. To look at her, she never would have thought that Miss Fowley would do anything like that. But then, she'd always been a hard, cold, lonely person, only softening when talking about her Fox. 

She thought as she went back to sweeping her stoop. 

The End. 


End file.
